Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pétarder

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The English translation of the French verb pétarder is “to explode” or “to set off fireworks.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “pey-tar-dey.”

The word “pétarder” comes from the French noun “pétard,” meaning a small explosive device. It is derived from the Latin word “petardum,” which means “to break wind.” In everyday French, pétarder is most often used to describe the act of setting off fireworks or explosives.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, pétarder is conjugated as “avais pétardé,” meaning “had exploded” or “had set off fireworks.” Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with English translations:

  1. J’avais pétardé les feux d’artifice avant que la pluie ne commence. (I had set off the fireworks before the rain started.)
  2. Tu avais pétardé un pétard dans la rue hier soir. (You had set off a firework in the street last night.)
  3. Ils avaient pétardé le château en ruines pour célébrer la nouvelle année. (They had exploded the ruins of the castle to celebrate the new year.)

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of pétarder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pétardé J’avais pétardé le feu d’artifice. I had set off the fireworks.
tu tu avais pétardé Tu avais pétardé la bombe. You had detonated the bomb.
il il avait pétardé Il avait pétardé le pétard. He had lit the firecracker.
elle elle avait pétardé Elle avait pétardé le pistolet. She had fired the gun.
on on avait pétardé On avait pétardé le canon. One had fired the cannon.
nous nous avions pétardé Nous avions pétardé la fusée. We had launched the rocket.
vous vous aviez pétardé Vous aviez pétardé le mortier. You had fired the mortar.
ils ils avaient pétardé Ils avaient pétardé le dynamite. They had set off the dynamite.
elles elles avaient pétardé Elles avaient pétardé le sac à dos. They had blown up the backpack.

Other Conjugations for Pétarder.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder     (this article)

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétarder

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Pétarder – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb pétarder. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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